Chapter Text
The heels of Juniper’s shoes clicked and clacked against the floor as she marched down the hallway of Witwicky’s Research Center. She smiled and waved at various people, trying to avoid bumping into them due to her rapid pace of walking. In her arms, she carried the files of her newest and final report close to her chest. After Mr. Rogers called her in to discuss the thoughts about her chosen topic, the redheaded intern intended to impress him the best she could.
As she turned down another hallway, her green eyes flickered to the familiar door of his office. Quickly, she came to a stop. Without hesitation, she knocked on the door once and then twice. After a solid pause, she opened the door to peek inside.
“Sir?”
Her voice was quiet but determined. Mr. Rogers stood from his desk, his sturdy frame remaining tall as he waved at her to come inside.
“Oh, hello, Ms. Redthorne. Come in, make yourself comfortable.”
Juniper nodded, holding back a sigh of relief as she scurried inside. She settled herself into the tiny seat in front of his desk, glancing around the small but functional room. She noted the familiar awards on the shelves and the space-themed posters on the walls. In her chair, Juniper tried to relax, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt before shifting her backpack and resting the folders on her lap.
Timothy sat back down and leaned forward, clearing his dry throat and adjusting his glasses. He rested his elbows on his desk and folded his hands together.
“Now. You came to discuss the subject of your report with me?”
Juniper nodded again, trying to sort through the files on her lap.
“Yes, sir! I…”
She flipped open her folders, her eyes scanning the words that she typed on her papers. Suddenly, a cold feeling of doubt trickled into her body. It was as though all of her remaining confidence vanished. Acknowledging her reluctance, Mr. Rogers lifted a big, bushy eyebrow.
“Hm?”
The woman stiffened, recalling the events of the day prior.
During a night drive back to her apartment, she witnessed something strange disappear over the mountaintops. Although it could have been considered just a hallucination to some, the very sight of the creature prompted her to spend all night on the computer. Without rest, she performed her research on online forums and articles, studying the rumors of giant, metal beings on Earth.
Juniper blinked, taking in a deep breath and hoping not to sound too ridiculous.
“Uh. Aliens.”
Mr. Rogers sighed, hanging his head low before tossing it to the ceiling in a manner of exhaustion.
“Ms. Redthorne-”
Without warning, Juniper leapt up from her seat.
“Sir! I can show you something!” And then, she gave him a sheepish look. “May I?”
Timothy shrugged, rubbing his temples as Juniper walked around him to access his computer. After a quick glance at her files, she typed in the address of the website she desired. It took a moment for the internet to respond. However, once the site was displayed, she scrolled down until she was certain to find the video of a “transforming” vehicle.
But much to her surprise, she found nothing, nothing but a GIF of a cat playing a piano.
“What?” Juniper gawked, peering closer at the screen. “It was there last night! I saw it!”
She frowned, her eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. Was it removed from the website? Who would do such a thing? The government, perhaps?
Mr. Rogers shattered her thoughts with his voice, bringing her back to the present by setting a palm on her shoulder.
“Juniper, calm down.”
She turned to him, her expression firm.
“I saw something last night, sir, an aircraft transforming into some kind of…metal man.”
Carefully, Mr. Rogers guided her away from his desk.
“I’m sure that you did.” He shook his head, staring hard at her. “But if you’re claiming that alien life exists among us right now, then I need actual proof.”
Juniper left Witwicky’s Space Center by sulking her way into her car. She tossed her valuables into the backseat and groaned. Once she buckled herself in, she started the engine and gradually rolled her way out of the parking lot and into the small town of Billington, Arizona. She began her drive back to her apartment, taking the scenic route home and occasionally glancing at the blue sky in order to see that slight glimmer of hope again.
But there was nothing. Disappointed, all Juniper could do was mumble to herself as she squeezed the wheel before her. She didn’t blame her mentor, she blamed herself. Why was she so foolish? Of course she required true evidence! She couldn’t rely on random websites.
The drive felt much longer than it actually was. By the time she returned home, it was already past midnight. As Juniper made her way into her apartment (stealthily, not wanting to disturb the neighbors), she set her keys and backpack on the nearest couch and searched for food. Luckily, she uncovered a stash of ramen packets.
As she fixed a boiling pot of water, she whipped out her phone from her pocket and accessed a chatroom. She messaged her friend and expressed how unimpressed her mentor was.
‘Bro! He literally facepalmed!’
There was a pause, allowing Juniper to add her seasoning into the mix of the pot. She hummed to herself before glancing over and discovering that Tayden responded with his own message.
‘Aw… : ( sorry to hear that Jun.’
Juniper smirked a little and poured her bowl of ramen. As it cooled, she plopped on the couch to continue messaging Tayden.
‘It’s fine. How r u?’
After she sent her message, something odd occurred. There was another pause, but it was much longer than before. Juniper frowned, growing a little unnerved.
Finally, his reply came.
‘Good. I miss u.’
The woman couldn’t help but release a light chuckle as she responded.
‘I miss u too.’
The last time she interacted with her family in Texas was around a year ago. She never meant for her life to turn out the way it did, but she couldn’t exactly refuse an internship at NASA. She worked too hard for the position.
Juniper waited patiently, eyeing her ramen on the table. When her phone glowed, she glanced back at the screen.
‘Why don’t you come visit me? And your fam?’
Inside her chest, Juniper felt her heartbeat flutter at the idea. Frankly, she did miss her home, her true home back in the south. She missed her mother, her siblings, and even Tayden’s little sister. Nonetheless, she had a duty to uphold, something that she vowed to respect. There was important work to accomplish at Witwicky’s.
‘No.’ Juniper typed. ‘Can’t. Sorry. Too busy.’
His reply came immediately.
‘I see.’
Juniper took a break to carry her bowl of ramen to her bedroom. After situating herself onto the comfort of her mattress, she hungrily slurped her noodles and typed another response.
‘Are u sure ur ok?’
She swallowed a hearty sip of water before reviewing his message.
‘Yea.’
She didn’t buy it. She was familiar with Tayden Morely since high school. She knew him well, and something was obviously bothering him due to the way he was texting her. However, since it was so late in the night, she silenced her worry by wishing him a goodnight.
After finishing her ramen and setting the empty bowl on her desk, she yawned and shifted inside the blankets of her bed. Juniper made certain to receive adequate sleep. Tomorrow, after all, was a big day.
She had big plans, much bigger than she ever thought possible.
The following morning, Juniper stirred from her bedroom at the very crack of dawn. Sunlight poured into the room through her windows. She stretched and ate her cereal, occasionally glancing at the clock. She paced back and forth, brushing her teeth before donning a crop top, some shorts, and boots. Once everything seemed to be in order, she sent a good morning message to Tay.
Juniper didn’t wait to check for his reply.
She made haste, trying to be as quiet as possible within her living space. She gathered her backpack and her camera before heading out the door and locking it behind her. The sun’s rays were delicate in the morning, turning the sky a tender, orange hue as she crept into her car. She drove out the parking lot and onto the barren road, already knowing the location of her destination.
The drive was lonely but equally as exhilarating as she moved along in her vehicle. Only the radio was her source of comfort as she tapped her fingers against the wheel, a hopeful smile drifting across her face.
‘Who knows?’ she thought to herself. ‘Today could be my lucky day.’
It was only a dream, she supposed.
Far away from her apartment, Juniper’s car, after an hour, finally came to a halt at the nearest cave. After putting her vehicle in park, she checked her phone, realizing that Tayden messaged her a good morning response.
Juniper snickered, typing away.
‘Hang on. I gotta check something out.’
She glanced out from her window, focusing on the gaping mouth of the cave’s entrance.